Try-square and miter.



PATENTED JAN. 20, 1903.

T. GERBER. TRY SQUARE AND MITER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 12, 1902;

no MODEL.

"UNITED STATES ATENT FFICE.

THOMAS GERBER, OF DEER CREEK, OKLAHOMA TERRITORY.-

TRY-SQUARE AND MITER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 718,618, dated January 20, 1903.

Application filed July 12, 1902.

To all whom, it 77MLZ/ concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS GERBER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Deer Creek, in the county of Grant and Territory of Oklahoma, have invented a new and useful Try-Square and Miter, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to try-squares and miters; and it has for its object to provide an efficient and useful tool of this description which may be readily carried in the pocket of the workman when he is engaged upon staging or scaffolding without the danger of falling out, and thus making it necessary for the workman to descend to the ground for it.

A further object of the invention is to construct the tool within a small compass and yet in such a manner as to be thoroughly useful for the purposes to which a device of this kind are ordinarily applied.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tool which shall be efficient and durable at a moderate cost of construction.

With these and other ends in view the invention consists in the improved construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, which will be hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view showing how my improved trysquare may be applied to the purpose of squaring the end of a board wider than the length of said square. Fig. 2 is a plan View showing the device as used for mitering the edge of a board. Fig. 3 is a plan view showing' how the device maybe used for squaring the end of a curved or warped board. Fig. 4 is an edge view of my improved combined try-square and miter.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are indicated by like characters of reference.

The body of my improved combined trysquare and miter, which is designated by l, is composed of the long and short arms 2 and 3, which are located at right angles to each other. This part of the device is preferably constructed of sheet-steel and with the accuracy which is essential in this class of devices.

The end of the short member 3 of the square is cut off at an angle of forty-five degrees to Serial No. 115,370. (No model.)

its outer edge, as shown at 4, the said cut being made from its outer edge inwardly in the direction of the long arm or member of the square. The reason for this will presently appear.

Upon the upper and under sides of the outer edge of the short member 3 of the square are secured the flanges 5 5, by means of which the device is adjusted against the work. These flanges may consist of narrow metallic strips made, preferably, of iron and secured upon the upper and under sides of the member 3 by means of pins, bolts, or other fastening means 6 passing transversely through the said members and through the adjacent strips or flanges. Washer-plates 7, of brass or other comparatively soft metal, are preferably interposed between the flanges 5 and the member 3 of the square. This is for the purpose of preventing the latter from cracking or being otherwise injured, as it would be liable to be in case of its being dropped if the hard-metal flanges 5 were secured directly thereto.

The manner of using my improved square and miter will be readily understood by reference to the drawings. When a board is to be operated upon the width of which exceeds' the length of the long arm 2 of the square, the latter maybe applied successively to the opposite edges of the board and overlapping marks may be made. By placing the flange on either side of the member 3 of the square against the side of a board the edge 4 of the arm or member 3 will extend across the edge of the board, and the miter-mark may thus be made upon the latter across its full width, there being no obstruction to the use of the marking pencil or tool. When warped or curved boards are to be squared, as in Fig. 3, the operator by placing either of the flanges 5in contact with the edge of the board may hold the square firmly in contact with the latter by placing his middle finger at the point indicated by letter A, hisforefinger at the point B, and his thumb against the opposite edge of the board at the point C. The pressure of his fingers at these points will hold the square firmly in contact with the board and will cause the long arm or blade 2 to bend or yield, so as to adapt itself to the curved surface of the board, which may thus be accurately squared. The ordinary form of try-square having the usual wooden stock (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3) cannot be successfully used in this manner on account of its excessive width, making it impossible for the workman to reach across to the outer edge of the said wooden stock.

The advantages of my improved tool will be fairly apparent from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings. It is simple, inexpensive, and efficient in use. An important feature of the device is the fact that by reason of the miter edge 4 being cut inwardly from the outer edge of the short member 3 of the device and in the direction of the long member of the same the tool may be readily carried in the hip-pocket of the Workman, which is a consideration of no little importance. The ordinary wooden-stock tool is always extremely liable to drop out. By cutting the miter edge of the arm 3 in the manner described myimproved tool may be readily inserted into the pocket and is in no danger of falling out. This purpose is aided by the narrow metallic flanges with which the device is provided, which occupy very claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- A tool of the class described havinga long and a short arm member, the latter being mitered from its outer edge inwardly in the direction of the long-arm member, in combination with narrow metallic flanges secured at the outer edge of the short-arm member, to opposite sides thereof, plates of soft metal interposed between said flanges and the body of the tool, and connecting means extending through said tool-body, washer-plates and flanges, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS GERBER.

Witnesses:

JOSEPH DVORAK, T. S. SNODGRASS. 

